Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit professional theatre company, which recently completed its fourth season in its comfortable stadium-style theatre in Warwick, along with the legendary comedy club, Catch A Rising Star, are proud to announce the appearance of “Imus in the Morning’s” Rob Bartlett and the Ruthless Women Sketch Comedy Troupe at Ocean State Theatre on Sunday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Rob Bartlett started performing stand-up comedy in 1978 hoping it would lead to a career in acting. Nearly 30 years later, he is a successful actor, standup comedian, radio personality and writer. Rob started in stand-up comedy at Richard M. Dixon’s White House Inn, a talent showcase club on New York’s Long Island run by the presidential look-alike. It was at Dixon’s club where he met a 17-year-old Eddie Murphy, and the two became fast friends and formed two-thirds of the improvisational trio The Identical Triplets.

When the trio broke up, Rob went on as a solo act and became a headliner in comedy clubs and colleges across the country. He has headlined at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Atlantic City’s Tropicana and Hilton Hotels, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort and Casino. On television, Rob has appeared on the “MTV Half Hour Comedy Hour,” “Standup Spotlight” on VH1 and on “Late Night with David Letterman” and “Conan O’Brien.”

In 1986 Rob became a regular in-studio guest of Don Imus at radio station WNBC 66AM. When the station was sold and the “Imus in The Morning” program moved to the WFAN studios in Astoria, Rob became a contract player, and has since written and performed some of the show’s popular cast of characters.

Rob’s television credits include starring roles on the Paramount/CBS comedy special “What’s Alan Watching?” ABC’s “Move the Crowd,” and a recurring role on NBC as attorney Milton Schoenfeld on “Law & Order, Special Victims Unit.” Rob is very proud to have been voted one of the “Top Ten Worst” wrestling announcers in history for his short-lived stint as color commentator of “WWF Monday Night Raw.” He is also the voice of Marty, the hyperactive dog, on the popular cartoon series “Kenny the Shark.”

Rob made his Broadway debut as author and star of More to Love. His Broadway credits also include Amos Hart in Chicago, Mr. Mushnik in the 2003 revival of Little Shop of Horrors, and as Herman in the 2005 revival of Sweet Charity with Christina Applegate. He also performed as Speed, the poker playing crony of Oscar and Felix, in the 2005 revival of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.

Opening for Rob Bartlett is the Ruthless Women Sketch Comedy Troupe featuring Megan Simard, Michelle Gotay, Mandy Leigh Thompson, and Cindy Marchionda.

Rob Bartlett and the Ruthless Women Sketch Comedy Troupe will be at Ocean State Theatre on Saturday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. Joining them as host, will be local comedian Frank O’Donnell. The theatre is located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. Tickets are $52 for front section seating and $42 for all other seating and are on sale at the box office Monday through Friday from 12 noon-6 p.m., Saturdays from 12 noon-4 p.m. and from 12 noon until curtain on performance days. Tickets are also available online 24 hours a day at www.OceanStateTheatre.org and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling 921-6800.

Catch A Rising Star is a nationally known trademark and forum, recognized for over thirty-five years for launching the careers of some of America’s most popular and beloved television and film stars, top comedians, comic actors, musicians, directors, producers and writers. A leader in the industry, Catch A Rising Star’s commitment to tomorrow’s comedy stars has remained the same over its history, and continues today in Reno, Nev., Providence, Princeton, N.J. and Monticello, N.Y.

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC) is a professional not-for-profit regional theatre whose mission is to preserve and pass on the tradition of live, professional theatre – including the American musical – and to pursue avenues of enrichment and education for the benefit of the state of Rhode Island and the surrounding region through the theatre arts. OSTC, which re-opened and ran the historic Theatre By The Sea in Matunuck, RI from 2007-2012 and began producing shows in Warwick in 2012, is an IRS designated not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.